There is a PDF with more details, which I read, where I got these pictures from as well as a townhall video which I did not watch at this link: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/steelhead/coastal

Looks like we are going to be getting a winterrun season on the Chehalis system this year boys! The SGR is selective gear rules in the above picture. Single point barbless, no bait is kind of lame but is to be expected as they open it back up.

The seasons aren't terrible I'm pretty much done fishing the Wynoochee and Humptulips by March anyway. The only one I'm disappointed about is the Skookumchuck. That one doesn't even get going until February and is generally good through March and even into April. Ah well the Cowlitz will be cranking them out in March and April, so just fish there instead. They haven't quite worked out the Queets/Salmon season yet but there should be an opener there through February.

Not too shabby, I'm looking forward to getting after some of these fish on the Humptulips, Wynoochee and Skookumchuck this season after 3 years of closures.

That sounds great! We shall see....

Also disappointed for the late upper Chehalis. Maybe co-manager relations are improving? Thanks for sharing.

If the stealhead return is mirroring coho I would expect 1/3 fewer of the natural origin fishes. Not enough escapement for directed fisheries. :twocents

So the Chehalis closes on Jan 1?

Neat.

They are trying to focus on hatchery steelhead return areas and minimize encounters with wild steelhead. Wild steelhead are generally under escapement in this river, although not this year.

Gillnetted into extinction.

Virtually no winter steel in the Chehalis tribs in Dec. Basically a late coho fishery then. Some winter steel in January especially later in the month. February will be the best bet to catch a fish. Like Flat said March is closed because the wild fish but there are good numbers of hatchery fish then also.

I don't think the coho return is indicative of much this year. The chums are thick, kings were plentiful early, and I personally caught 2 summer run steelhead on a Grays Harbor trib Saturday. I saw quite a few caught In October as well. In other words, while the coho have disappointed big time, there is reason to believe winter steelhead could be good. Even if it's not great, just being allowed to fish for steelhead within an hour of home makes the winter a much happier time.

One thing definitely related to coho, though: if the wild run doesn't do better than the hatchery run has done, we'll probably be shut down in Dec.-Jan. to protect wild coho, no matter how many steelhead might show up. I hate to say it, but I think we need a good gillnetting week or two to keep things open.

And here is the next shoe dropping.



NEWS RELEASE



Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Nov. 5, 2024
Contact: Rob Allan, 360-249-1204
Media contact: Bridget Mire, 564-224-0845



WDFW to host second virtual coastal steelhead town hall Nov. 13
OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will host its second virtual town hall meeting on the 2024-2025 coastal steelhead season at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13.
WDFW staff will share agreed-to fishery plans with the public during the meeting. In late November, the Department will finalize those plans with tribal co-managers and then announce the 2024-2025 season and regulations.

“We recognize the importance of coastal steelhead for recreational anglers, tribal co-managers, river ecosystems, and local communities and economies,” said WDFW Fish Program Director Kelly Cunningham. “We appreciate the public’s involvement in our coastal steelhead management process, and we look forward to sharing plans that balance conservation with providing fishing opportunity.”
Members of the public can participate in the Nov. 13 meeting through Zoom, either online or by phone. Meeting materials and information on fishery management, including past town halls, are available on WDFW’s coastal steelhead management webpage.

Staff will present finalized plans to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in a special Fish Committee meeting Nov. 21. More information will soon be available on the Commission’s meeting webpage.

All members of the public are invited to share their perspectives and participate in WDFW public feedback opportunities regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, language proficiency, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, or basis of disability.

WDFW continues to operate under its Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, which requires the Department to prioritize the sustainability of wild coastal steelhead runs by focusing on healthy levels of abundance, productivity, diversity, and distribution.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities. 



________________________________________




Request this information in an alternative format or language at wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/requests-accommodation, 833-885-1012, TTY (711), or CivilRightsTeam@dfw.wa.gov.






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